Unfair burden on carers

The stories and research published as part of Carers Week highlight not only the huge contribution that carers make but also how a worrying lack of support is affecting their life chances.

The new findings show that three-fifths of carers have had to give up work or reduce their hours, whilst just under half have struggled financially. As a charity helping people in financial hardship, this echoes what we hear on a daily basis, with many carers telling us they’re struggling to buy food for their families or are finding themselves increasingly in debt.

There is often a lack of awareness of what support is available amongst carers and other people in financial need and sometimes a feeling that this support might not be for them. We recently found that nearly half of low-income households are not claiming the welfare support they could qualify for, with 57 per cent believing they would not be eligible.

It is vital that carers are provided with the appropriate support to enable them to continue in their role, and we are working together with other charities and organisations to ensure that financial help is as accessible and prominent as possible.

We urge carers and anyone else experiencing financial hardship to use our free Benefits Calculator and Grants Search at Turn2us.org. uk to find out quickly and easily what support could be available. It could make all the difference in easing some of the pressures they face.

Simon Hopkins,